


Words Hurt

by New_Blue_Stuff



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Youtube RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Parties, Sex Mentions, Swearing, Teenage Drama, written for a friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 11:33:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6236983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/New_Blue_Stuff/pseuds/New_Blue_Stuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pj has three best friends, a brilliant family, and a love of art. Chris Kendall is a drama student at the same college as Pj. After a bad encounter one year ago, they both consider each other their worst enemy. </p><p>One house party ruins it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Words Hurt

Chris literally fucking cartwheels into religion and philosophy. Pj's eyes roll so far back that he's not sure he's ever going to be able to see again.

'Show off.' Pj whisper, sitting up straighter in his seat.

'Just because you want a piece Liguori.' Chris retorts without even looking at Pj. The class snickers. One of Chris's friends passes Chris his satchel.

'Seriously? I'd rather choke.' Pj snarks.

Chris giggles. 'You would choke.'

Pj doesn't have to fake a shiver. 'Ew.'

Chris winks at him as he walks past him.

'Don't start what you can't finish Liguori.'

'Fuck off Kendall.'

Pj turns around to look at Chris. Chris settles into his seat quickly, his posture is wide.

Chris smirks.

'I've not fucked off for the last year, why would I now?' Chris debates.

'Because you found something better to do than ruin my day?'

Chris leans back further, his grin is shit eating. A few people watch them, but it's not exactly new.

'Ah, but ruining your day makes mine.' Chris teases.

Pj rolls his eyes, again. He sighs deeply, facing forward once more. He chucks his folder onto the desk in front of him.

He hears Chris's grating, soul-eating laughter.

Pj turns and glares at him.

'What?' Pj demands.

'And you call me the drama queen?' Chris points out.

Pj swears that if he could hear his own anger, it'd sound like a kettle that just boiled.

'Seriously? You are the biggest fucking drama queen I've ever met.'

Chris laughs.

'Good thing I'm an actor then.' Chris states.

Pj whistles. 'You call that acting?'

Chris raises his eyebrows, he gestures to Pj's art folder.

'You call that drawing?'

Pj raises the folder and smiles bitterly at Chris.

'I've been painting actually. I've been making my own colours. I mixed a horrible brown earlier by accident, it reminded me of you.'

Chris snorts.

'You're such a fucking bitch Liguori.'

Pj laughs too.

'Most importantly, I'll never be your bitch.'

Their teacher comes in. She starts the mandatory lesson. Her voice drags over the subject of the universe, making even that extraordinary thing sound dull.

Chris whispers. 'We'll see.'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chris is late to the bus stop. Pj had just been starting to think that he might get away with not seeing him again.

'Nice face there Pj, were you trying to paint it too?'

Pj puts a hand on his cheek and sure enough, his fingers come back blue.

Chris laughs at the look on Pj's face.

Their bus pulls in. It's closer to Pj, Pj pulls his pass out of his pocket, Chris cuts in front of him and gets on first.

Pj finds it just as annoying as it was on the first day of college.

'Are you ever going to stop doing that?'

Pj walks up the stairs of the double-decker bus after Chris. Chris turns around and smiles at him.

'I would if it didn't piss you off so much Liguori.'

'It's rude.' Pj argues.

'So's shouting at someone within twenty seconds of meeting them.' Chris retorts, referring back to their actions on the day they met.

'I was stressed.' Pj defends. Both of them have made it to their normal seats, the bus is empty upstairs.

Pj begins to pull his headphones out of his bag, Chris does the same; Pj's headphones are over-ear and Chris's are inner-ear.

'So was I, hence I didn't see you.' Chris argues back. He puts one headphone in.

Pj frowns at him for a moment.

'That was over a year ago.' Pj declares with awe.

Chris smiles. 'And you're still my favourite mortal enemy.'

Pj rolls his eyes.

'Shut up.'

Pj puts his headphones on. Chris laughs, Pj knows he does even though he can't hear him.

This always happens, Chris and Pj work like clockwork.

Nothing ever changes.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj looks over at Chris within a minute of being on the bus. They both sit at the front of the bus, each taking up their own two seats. Chris is sat on the right, Pj always sits on the left, it gives him a better view of the trees.

As usual, Pj takes out his sketch book and one of his softer pencils. He begins to lightly draw, never too much detail, just what takes his eye. He starts drawing an interesting road marking, he plays with the way that light is going through the trees. Finally, he gets his phone out, he starts to etch out a picture he took of Jamie, Sophie, and Louis that day. He's been struggling to get the angle of Jamie's camera correct when he feels his headphones come off.

He turns, and sees Chris walking down the steps. It's his stop, if Pj had been paying attention, he would have noticed.

Pj frowns, picking his sketch book up and bag, he runs down the stairs. He expects the bus to drive away. He frowns when he sees Chris still on the bus.

'There he is.' Chris says, he smiles to the bus driver. 'Sorry, he's a little slow.' Chris smirks at Pj, then he turns back to the driver. 'Thank you.'

He gets off the bus, and Pj follows him. 'Thank you.' Pj aims at the bus driver.

The bus drives away, Pj puts his pencil in his pocket, he carries on holding his book.

He sees Chris walking home in the distance.

Pj realizes how fucking confused he is.

'Hey Chris! What was that about?' Pj shouts.

Chris turns and walks backwards, hands in his pockets.

Pj can see him shrug before walking forwards again.

Pj laughs before he remembers he hates him.

He shakes his head before he walks home.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'How was college?'

Pj's sister retrieves milk from the fridge, she looks at Pj expectantly.

'It was good, I still hate having to take religious studies, it’s boring.'

She laughs. 'I'd expect no less.'

Pj smiles. 'And Jamie's photography class had to move next to us so I spent my entire art lesson pulling faces at him through the window.'

His sister rolls her eyes. 'You're supposed to be working.'

'I am working, I finished my main piece today, and I drew some portraits.'

'You like portraits, right?'

Pj shakes his head. 'I like them, and I love getting better at them, but I want to put all of my energy into fantasy.'

'No landscapes?' She grins.

Pj shrugs. 'Same goes for landscapes as portraits. I like them both, I just don't love them.'

Pj's sister sits on the other side of the table, drinking her milk. She has the same eye colour as Pj, and her hair up in a bun.

'Do you want to be an artist?'

Pj nods. 'Or a film maker.'

She snorts, grinning. 'My brother the artsy guy.'

'Seriously?' Pj snarks.

'Seriously.' His sister repeats, she ruffles his hair before walking away.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj doesn't see Chris at college the next day. They don't have any compulsory lessons or tutorials on a Tuesday, so this is expected.

Pj has been in photography all day, his eyes hurt. He's heading home and to the bus stop.

The second he sees Chris, it's like his eyes have been restored and blessed simultaneously.

'What is that?' Pj demands, laughing.

Chris rolls his eyes. 'A fucking quiff.'

Pj carries on laughing, Chris glares at him.

'Please tell me it's for a role you're playing.' Pj wipes a tear, there's still ten minutes before their bus comes. 'If it's permanent, I'm so going to have to drop out. I won't be able to concentrate because of how fucking stupid you look.'

Chris forces that smirk back on.

'You look stupid all the fucking time and I haven't dropped out yet.'

Pj snorts. 'I'll have you know that I've been referred to as super attractive.'

Chris gives him that cocky grin.

'By who? Your mother?'

Pj can't help but laugh.

'I take after her so she'd be complimenting herself.' Pj states.

'Aw, you take after your mama?' Chris teases.

'You take after a slug, so I win.'

Chris cackles. 'That was weak, even for you.'

'I have a lot of upper body strength, I'll have you now.'

Chris laughs again, that fucking annoying laugh of his that Pj detests, self-assured prick.

'Where'd you get it from? Hardcore masturbation?'

Pj rolls his eyes. 'Sex isn't everything. Besides, I'd get it from drawing.'

Chris smiles and shakes his head. 'How often do you draw anyway?'

'Everyday. As much as I can. I paint and I sculpt and I sketch and I edit and I write and I record and I... Why am I telling you this?'

Chris shrugs. Pj rolls his eyes.

'Stop fucking shrugging. You love fucking talking, talk.'

Chris takes his turn to roll his eyes.

'What am I supposed to say? I don't know why the fuck you were telling me that shit.'

Pj sighs.

'Why the fuck did you tell me to get off the bus yesterday?' Pj finally asks.

The bus comes around the corner, and as always, Chris jumps in front of him, enraging him.

Chris turns around and shrugs once more before getting on.

Pj nearly punches him.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj sketches again on the bus.

He carries on paying attention, when it's his stop, he's ready to go. Chris is already gone.

Pj gets off the bus, the breeze created by it's pulling away messes up his hair. He turns and watches Chris walk off, he's texting on his phone, Pj can see his damn quiff from here. Pj allows himself one large smile at the sight before walking away.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next day, Chris passes Pj in the corridor. Chris has got his normal hair.

Chris sticks his tongue out at Pj. Pj returns it with an eye roll.

Chris laughs and walks away. Pj's left to glare at him. Chris turns and winks and Pj's day gets just that little bit worse.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Jamie, Louis, and Pj decided to stay behind after their lessons. They all received their photography coursework on the same day, they want to work on starting it. The idea behind this project leaves a lot of interpretation. It's going to be difficult to do well, Pj loves a challenge.

Jamie has another brain wave, his scratches through what he'd been writing. He ends up dragging the pen all around the page, making a large scribble.

'Struggling?' Pj asks.

Jamie shakes his head. 'It's just a tricky question. I could easily get this wrong. Sorry'

Louis nods. 'It's easy if you simplify it. In basis, they want us to document what we find beautiful.'

'But what does that even mean?' Jamie points out, almost shouting. He cringes afterwards. 'Sorry.'

'Don't be sorry.' Louis immediate defends. 'Never be sorry.'

Pj jumps in. 'Besides, the whole point is that you can interpret it.'

Jamie groans. 'All of my ideas are terrible.'

Pj laughs. 'You got the project today. Stop winding yourself up.'

Jamie nods, sighing.

Pj and Louis make eye contact, they nod.

Pj slams his book shut.

'Come on, we'll go back to my place and play mariokart.' Pj announces.

Jamie's eyebrows shoot up. 'Is that really-'

'It'll just be my sister in until eight. Mum and dad are working.' Pj clarifies.

'Sophie's out of her lesson in ten minutes...' Louis points out.

'And it's not like my sister would care, nor my parents.' Pj concludes.

'But...'

'Maybe you'll find something beautiful on the way.' Louis suggests.

In the end, Jamie is overwhelmed.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'Where's Soph? She should have been here ten minutes ago.' Louis is sprawled out on a bench. Pj sits on the ground in front of him.

Pj rolls his eyes. 'Text her.’

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

**Louis (Lamp Thief): Meet us at Peej's bus stop, we're having a mariokart tournament. (15:45)**

**Soph (Curls): Sure thing nerd xx (15:47)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 Chris likes Sophie, it's just a shame she hangs around with Pj. They could have fun.

'Where are you heading to?' Chris asks.

'Pj's bus stop.' Sophie answers. She's got her bag slung over her shoulder. They walk side by side.

Chris frowns, his make-up feels strange.

'How come?'

'They want to have a mariokart championship.'

Chris snorts. 'Of course.'

Sophie smiles. 'Like you wouldn't.'

'I would. Just not with your friend.'

Sophie rolls her eyes. 'Pj's not that bad. I think you just caught him on a bad day.'

'A bad day every single day of his life? That's mad.'

Sophie carries on smiling at Chris. It's infectious, he smiles back.

'He's pretty mad. We all are. You included.'

They turn the corner. A few minutes away from their destination.

'I'm not a part of your little clique though.'

Sophie laughs. 'Which clique are you in then?'

Chris snorts. 'I'm very alone.'

Sophie giggles. 'You've got me.'

Chris giggles with her. 'My faithful make-up artist. Every single show night.'

Sophie walks sideways until she knocks into Chris, making him take a step to the side.

'I'm your friend too. Otherwise, I wouldn't have stayed behind to check the new products on your baby skin.'

Chris drops his jaw.

'My baby skin? I have man skin!'

'Not according to-'

'-I know what she said Sophie.' Sophie grins at him. 'Acknowledge my man skin.'

Sophie smirks.

'I don't want to see your man skin.'

Chris laughs. 'I didn't even make that dirty.'

They're about to turn the corner onto the road with their bus stop.

'Do you reckon Pj will fight me when he sees me with you?'

'I highly doubt it.'

'Who would win?'

'It's pretty even. I think you'd draw. Or Louis would feel bad, and intervene.'

Chris turns to look at her.

'Would you not stop it?'

'Why would I?'

She winks at him. They turn the corner onto the next road.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'Is that Sophie?'

'Yes, obviously.' Louis responds.

'Why is she with Kendall?'

'Because they get along and we're allowed to have other friends, don't be an arsehole about it'

Pj sighs, his palms tighten up into fists.

'But Chris Kendall is a-'

'-Person Sophie is allowed to have a different opinion of' Jamie cuts in. 'I think he's pretty funny as well.'

Pj splutters. 'He's tricking you!'

'You're being unfair. Sophie knows him through his acting and her backstage club. She does his make-up. You'd know this if you didn't rant like an old man going on about the good old days every time his name is brought up.' Louis states.

Jamie laughs and Pj glares at him.

'Just-'

'Just okay nice for this journey. And we'll destress at yours and drink tea and play Mario kart and fuck knows what else. Okay?'

Pj glares at him again. Louis smiles, Pj turns his glares into a pout.

'...Okay...'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sophie waves to them from a distance. Louis is the only one to wave back.

Chris whispers under his breath.

'Kendall vs Liguori, who will win the title of ultimate bitch. Carry on watching channel...' Sophie is giggling beside him. 'What channel is the wrestling on?'

Sophie laughs. 'I don't know!'

'You know everything. You're essentially a goddess!'

'Are you hitting on me?'

'Pfft, no.'

They both carry on laughing, they're close to the bus stop now.

'Who's hitting on who?' Louis asks.

'Chris, he just called me a goddess.' Sophie answers.

'Did not.'

Sophie smirks at Chris. 'You can't lie in the presence of a goddess Chris, I'll send you to hell.'

Chris snorts. 'I'm going there anyway.'

Pj finds himself restraining a smile.

'Any particular sin?' Pj asks. Chris looks at him with wide eyes.

He shrugs.

'Probably lust.'

'Who'd sleep with you?' Pj asks.

'There's my Pj.' Chris retorts.

Pj is the only one to laugh.

Sophie and Jamie make eye contact. Louis's eyebrow furrows. He shakes it off.

'So why were you late Soph?' Louis asks her.

'We got new stage make-up in.' She pinches Chris's cheek whilst looking at Louis. Chris rolls his eyes. 'He has sensitive skin so I had to check it.'

'I'm a weakling.' Chris adds.

Sophie lets go of him. 'At least this time it's all natural stuff, I reckon we'd have had problems if I was painting you orange.'

'There goes my dreams.' Chris jokes.

'All seven of them.' Pj contributes.

Chris raises an eyebrow. 'You think I'm going that high?'

Pj chuckles. 'Two?'

'Bingo.'

Pj pinches his nose, still smiling.

'My god you're frustrating.'

'Sexually?'

'Guys, don't start.' Sophie interrupts.

'The bus is here.' Louis tells them.

The others turn around, and see it coming down the road.

'Can someone pay my fare?' Sophie asks. 'I might pay you back.'

Louis rolls his eyes. 'I will.'

She grins at him. ‘Thank you Louis, I’m forever in your debt.’

He shakes his head and smiles at her.

‘Forget it.’

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The bus is only a single decker. Jamie leads the way to the back. Louis sits next to him. Pj sits on the far left side, Sophie sits in the middle. Chris takes a place on the two seats in front of Louis and Jamie.

'So what are you guys doing today?' Chris asks.

'Mariokart.' Sophie answers. She turns and smiles at Louis. 'Right?'

Louis nods. 'Yes. I also want to be Toad, however, I will settle for Yoshi.'

'I want Yoshi.' Jamie adds.

'Can I be Donkey Kong?' Sophie asks.

'Only if Pj is Peach.' Jamie replies.

'I'm more of a Daisy.' Pj interjects.

Chris giggles.

'Don't any of you want to be Mario?' Chris asks.

They all look at him with mild disgust.

'Why would you want to do that?' Sophie demands.

Chris shrugs. 'He's the reason the game is called Mariokart.'

'He's the most boring.' Sophie tells him.

'He's a plumber that beats up villains and gets the princess.' Chris argues halfheartedly.

'He's Pj.' Jamie mutters. Louis laughs. Pj rolls his eyes.

'I'm not a plumber.' Pj tells him.

'You could be a plumber.' Sophie tells him.

Louis starts giggling to himself.

'Imagine, 'I'm Mr Liguori and I'm here to fix your pipes.' Louis imitates.

'That sounds like a porno.' Sophie remarks.

'Sophie!'

'What?' She laughs.

'Stop forcing this filth into my ears.' Louis exclaims.

She grins at him.

'Like you're not already thinking it.'

They continue squabbling.

Chris watches them, laughing along.

He catches Pj's eye for the first time, he smiles and shrugs.

Pj manages a smile back.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'See you losers tomorrow!' Chris gets off the bus before them.

'Says you.' Pj retorts.

'At least I've accepted myself!'

'I know you have! Nobody loves you as much as you love you!'

Chris turns around, he walks backwards.

He winks at Pj.

'Except maybe you.'

Chris turns back, and walks home.

Pj watches him go with disgust in his stomach and a smile on his face.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sophie is in the kitchen for all of two seconds before Pj starts his rant

'Fuck that guy. He's so fucking full of himself-'

'-Chris?'

'Who else?' He acts like he's hot shit, or that everyone wants a bit of his arse! Actually, scratch that, he doesn't even have that much of an arse. He's so fucking cocky, and he's not as funny as he finds himself, I bet he's not even that good of an actor-'

'-Chris is an amazing actor-'

'-Of course you'd think that Soph. He's brainwashed you.'

Sophie rolls her eyes.

'Pj. Grow up. You're stressing yourself out over nothing-'

'-Chris Kendall is not nothing!'

She raises an eyebrow at him.

Pj frowns.

'In a... super insulting way... of course...' He adds.

She laughs.

'Totally. Come on, Louis wants to start playing. You're being an idiot.'

'Not as much of an idiot as-'

Sophie puts her hand over his mouth.

'Don't say his name again.'

He licks her hand.

She giggles. 'Gross.' She wipes her palm on his face.

'Ew...' Pj complains.

'You started it.' She points out.

He rolls his eyes. 'Lets go play then.'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sophie and Pj get extremely competitive, Jamie ends up in sixth place.

Louis gives up and starts going around the tracks backwards, crashing into things, and distracting Pj. He comes last.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'Thank god it's Friday tomorrow.' Jamie remarks at the door. It's getting dark outside.

'There's a party this weekend.' Sophie tells them. 'Chris said I should go, you're allowed to take whoever you want. It's an acting and backstage thing.'

'So you'll know everyone?' Louis asks.

Sophie nods. 'I hate missing stuff with them. Chris fills me in on what happened, but it's not the same.'

Louis nods.

'I'll go with you.' He tells her. 'If you want me to, however, I intend on us both getting sloppy drunk.'

She grins. 'Totally.' She turns to Pj and Jamie. 'Do you two feel up for it?'

Jamie looks at Pj for his answer.

Pj sighs, he's not going to be doing anything else. He knows some of the other actors and backstage people anyway.

'Sure.'

Jamie smiles.

'I'll go too.'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chris has been waiting for his bus home for ten minutes. It's a Friday, he wants to get some sleep.

Pj turns up. Chris smirks, and waits for it to start.

'At least my friends aren't here for you to corrupt today.' Pj comments.

'They're their own people you know.' Chris raises an eyebrow.

'They can't see how much of a dick you are.'

Chris smirks again.

'Can you see how much dick I am? I can give you a percentage of how much of my body mass it is, if you want.'

Pj glares at him.

'I'm more interested in the amount of decimal points you'd have to use.'

Chris barks out a laugh.

'Well played.'

The bus shows up, they fall into silence. Pj leaves space for Chris to cut into the line in front of him, Chris does. It's a single decker, they head to the back, they each get out their headphones and retreat to their own worlds.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It's nearly midnight on the Friday, Pj's counting the hours on his laptop.

His phone vibrates, he leans across his bed to get it, fairy lights illuminate his way.

**Soph: Are you still coming tomorrow? x (23:44)**

**Peej: Seriously? Of course I am. I made a promise. (23:44)**

**Soph: Cool. (23:45)**

Pj puts down his phone, and scrolls for a short while. His phone vibrates again.

**Soph: So now you've totally committed to this, it's at Chris's house, and he'll be there, and you can't fight him. See you then!!! x (23:57)**

Pj rolls his eyes and laughs, before turning off his phone. He decides to go to bed.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chris has enjoyed having the house to himself so far. He's gotten his creative writing coursework finished, he's gone back over his script. He's made progress, as well as a lot of super noodles.

His party is in place for tomorrow. He's got two days to clean it afterwards as well.

Chris turns over in his bed. He spots his notebook on his bedside table, currently not being used. He's had no inspiration to write poetry recently, and he hasn't bothered to find the time.

He switches off his lamp and heads into sleep.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'Jamie's not coming.'

Pj rolls his eyes.

'Why?'

Sophie shrugs. 'Couldn't make it.'

They're sitting in Sophie's bedroom.

'When should Louis be here?'

Pj's not sure if he imagines her smile growing.

'Soon.'

Pj rolls his eyes again.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Louis arrives, he's been there for a minute before Pj takes the piss out of his hat.

They head off.

It's interesting for Pj to see the way that Chris walks after they part. Which corners and alleys would Pj need to jump through in the middle of the night to reach Chris? If Pj snaps, how easy would Chris's murder be?

It turns out, not too hard. Chris only lives a quarter of an hour from Pj.

Chris's house is separate from the others. They can be pretty loud. There's already music playing, Pj can smell burning toast and cigarettes. Laughter surrounds him.

The air is so calm that it's hectic.

They walk into the house. Half a dozen people shout 'Sophie!', she smiles and runs to them. The ground is littered with people sitting, and laying on top of each other. It's almost like a petting zoo.

Pj turns and whispers in Louis's ear.

_'Theatre kids.'_

Louis laughs.

When Pj turns back around, there's already two people playing with Sophie's hair.

Pj hears it.

'Liguori. How pleasant.'

Pj straightens up, and turns to him.

'Chris Kendall.'

Chris is wearing a button up and his finest smirk.

'Take it Sophie brought you.'

'I'm trying to get you both to talk it out!' Sophie shouts in. Pj laughs.

'He's too much of a cock for that!' Pj shouts back.

Chris puts a hand over his heart and grins.

'In my own home?' Chris whispers, offended but smiling. Pj opens his mouth to respond, but gets cut off.

'I've actually seen his cock!'

Chris and Pj frown at eachother.

'Tyler! Did you actually?' Sophie calls out.

'IT COULD HAPPEN!'

'Right.' 

'SHUT UP DAN.'

'No.'

Chris turns to the living room full of drama queens.

'Mum! Dad! Stop fighting!'

All Pj hears is Tyler's cackling, and he grins.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj and Louis get settled in next to Sophie. The room is full and hot. It's got a surprisingly friendly atmosphere, and it's only broken out into song three times.

Chris comes back into the room.

Pj glares up at him. Chris glares to him.

'Yes Pj?'

'I got cut off in my insulting of you earlier.'

Chris shrugs, and sits in front of him.

'Feel free to continue.'

'Maybe I will.'

They smirk. Pj feels sick.

'Sooooph...'

Pj turns at the voice. It belongs to Daniel Howell, who is being held up by singer-extraordinaire Phil Lester.

'Yes Dan?' Sophie responds.

'Can we te-tell them that they could cut the sexy tension with a spoon?'

Sophie snorts. 'What?'

Dan looks at Phil expectantly, and begins the process of falling asleep on his shoulder.

'Cut the sexual tension with a knife?' Louis suggests.

There's a communal 'Ah...' as Dan snores.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The evening progresses with drinking.

Pj witnesses three arguments, one dramatic confessing on attraction, maybe one incident of a sexual act, and perhaps some drug taking. He’s seen worse.

Dan isn’t coping too well. He drank too much too early. He’s fast asleep on Phil’s lap. Phil shakes his head again.

‘I’ve not drank anything. I think I’m going to take Dan home.’ Phil laughs. He turns to Sophie. ‘Could you gimme a hand getting him to the car? Dan listens to you.’

Sophie laughs. ‘Sure. Everyone listens to me-’

‘-I wouldn’t want to see you angry.’ Phil confesses.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj stands up to help Sophie. Sophie turns to him.

‘Not you. You stay here.' Sophie puts a hand on his shoulder, grinning up at him sloppily. 'I wanna see if you can be friends with everyone for five minutes without me. Think of it as a test.’

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj very quickly regrets listening to her.

He quickly slinks out of the room. There’s too many people that Pj doesn’t know, too much music, too much laughter.

He’s alone in the kitchen, this is enemy territory.

‘You lost?’

Speaking of the devil. Pj turns to see Chris standing in the doorframe. He’s got a lipstick print on his cheek. Pj frowns at him.

‘Always?’ Pj jokes.

Chris snorts. ‘I relate to that a little too much.’

Chris walks to the sink, turning the taps, he wipes at the mark on his cheek with wet fingers. The mark only becomes worse. Pj stares at him.

‘Having a little too much fun?’ Pj suggests.

Chris shrugs. ‘I wish. Alas, this was just someone proving a point.’ Chris tells Pj. Chris turns to face Pj. ‘Is is gone?’

Pj shakes his head. Chris swears.

Pj rolls his eyes. ‘Let me do it.’

Pj takes a few long strides to the sink. He grabs a piece of tissue, and dampens it.

‘Really?’ Chris starts. ‘I never-’

‘-Shut up.’ Pj interrupts. ‘It’s only because you’re incompetent.’

Chris chokes. ‘I’m competent.’

‘Give me your face.’

‘It’s the only thing I’ve got going for me, I’d rather keep it-’

‘-Don’t be a shit. Give me your face.’ Pj instructs.

Chris laughs, before tilting his head so Pj can reach his cheek.

Pj starts to dab at the lipstick. He can see the colour get pulled from Chris’s skin to the piece of tissue. It’s a surprisingly set mark, taking Pj longer to remove it than he thought it would.

‘It’s sticky.’ Pj states.

‘That’s what she said.’ Chris giggles.

‘Are you twelve?’ Pj demands, holding back his laugh.

Chris raises his eyebrows. ‘Twelve and a half actually, so shut up.’

Pj does laugh at that. ‘I hate you.’

‘I know.’

Pj finishes wiping away the lipstick. He smiles at Chris, taking a small step back to lean against a counter.

‘You can leave now.’ Pj instructs.

‘Maybe I don’t want to.’ Chris tells him.

Pj chuckles. ‘You hate me.’

‘But if you hate me too, then the biggest inconvenience I can cause you is my presence.’

Pj raises his eyebrows. ‘Are you willing to sink that low?’

‘I sank that low years ago Sweetheart.’ Chris teases. Pj closes his eyes before laughing, again.

‘I could sink lower.’ Pj tells him.

‘Nah you couldn’t. You’re in here talking to me.’

‘You could be worse.’

Chris blinks. He giggles, shaking his head. The light flickers. ‘Do you hate me or not?’

Pj glares at him, and shrugs. ‘I’m indifferent.’

Chris’s eyes widen. ‘Wow, that made you sound like a douche.’

‘I am a douche.’

‘Don’t I know that?’ Chris retorts.

‘Sophie wants us to get along though.’ Pj mentions. ‘So I guess I’m going to have to try to.’

Chris nods, stepping back and pressing himself against a counter. The noise is constant, and sometimes makes him want to panic.

‘Do you love her Peej?’ Chris asks, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Pj doesn’t laugh like Chris suspected he would.

Pj nods instead. ‘I thought I could do for a while, but no, there’s no one at the moment. She’s better to me as a friend. I love her, as a friend.’

Chris slowly nods, empathizing. He grins.

‘You don’t need anyone to complete you, right Peej?’ Chris jokes.

Pj glares at him again. ‘Since when have you called me Peej?’

Chris returns to his shit-eating version of a smile. ‘Rather I call you Sweetheart?’

‘I’d rather you didn’t call me anything.’

‘Maybe I could give you my number so you could call me?’ Chris suggests.

Pj laughs. ‘Maybe I could make better choices.’

Chris puts a hand over his heart. ‘Maybe words hurt.’

Pj shakes his head. ‘Maybe they do.’

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj hears Sophie and Louis come back in. He hears Tyler’s shouting, but he remains with Chris.

Oddly, it’s been the funnest part of the evening.

Pj and Chris hear another loud cheer from the next room.

‘What are they doing?’ Pj asks.

‘Truth or dare. It’s been a tradition since forever to do that.’ Chris answers.

Pj raises an eyebrow. ‘Tradition?’ Chris nods. Pj considers it. ‘Alright, whatever the next truth or dare is from in there, you have to do.’ Chris frowns. ‘If it’s tradition.’ Pj chides.

Chris rolls his eyes. ‘Okay, but how are we going to know?’

Pj smiles. ‘We’ll hear it when there’s a good one.’

Chris frowns, Pj almost seems civil.

‘Why are you being alright? You’ve been a dick for ages?’ Chris asks.

Pj looks up at him. Chris gets a flash of the intense colour of his eyes.

‘Sophie wants us to get along.’

‘We don’t have to listen to Sophie. We never have before?’

Pj shrugs. ‘Maybe it’s time we grew up?’

‘We’re both abnormally tall. It’s time to grow down.’

Pj snorts. ‘Maybe mentally grow up?’

Chris slowly nods. Pj looks at his face.

‘Perhaps it is time to hate you less.’

Pj glances up at his eyes. ‘Why would you want to do that?’

Chris can’t find an answer, just an impulse.

The moment is interrupted.

‘You want me to what?’ Sophie shouts.

‘Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!’ Comes chanting.

Pj and Chris make eye contact.

‘Poor Soph.’ Pj states.

Chris’s eyes are wide. ‘Was that the first dare we heard?’

Pj’s eyes widen too. He swallows. ‘Yes, but you can wait if you want.’

‘Kiss him!’

Pj listens to the pressure Sophie is under.

Chris isn’t sober. He knows that. This should feeel like a worse idea. But Pj’s lips look like they could be softer than he thought. He keeps looking at Pj’s mouth.

Chris swallows.

‘I guess-’ Cheering. ‘-I have too. If that’s alright.’ Chris finishes.

Pj Liguori hates Chris Kendall.

His body feels lighter, surely because of the drink. His body is hot, surely because the room is. His smile is wide, surely because he’s okay. Not because...

Fuck it. Pj’s not got anything to lose.

‘You can kiss me. Just don’t be gross with it, and I’ll rip your balls off if you tell.’ Pj snarks.

Chris’s eyes continue to be wide. He stares at Pj’s mouth for a second. His lips aren’t particularly full, but he knows that Pj’s tongue is sharp.

‘Fine. Don’t cum in your pants.’

Chris comes away from the counter. A few steps, a change of direction, and he’s facing Pj. Pj looks at him expectantly, the same way someone might look when waiting to be disappointed. It pisses Chris off. He steps forward, pushing Pj back, pulling their bodies together. The key to something like this Chris finds, is friction.

A loud cheer in the background. Sophie must have kissed her dare.

Chris raises an eyebrow. Pj laughs.

‘Go on.’ Pj tempts. ‘I dare you.’

Chris feels unfiltered rage for Pj. Pj’s acting like he knows Chris wants him. He’s acting like there’s no one better than him in the world.

Chris can’t fucking stand it.

He attacks his mouth with his, that’s what it feels like. He clashes teeth and lips. He expects it to last for seconds.

He doesn’t expect Pj to press back.

Chris’s mind clears. Maybe, in this second, he does want him.

He’s a prick though.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj is enjoying this a little much.

Oh no.

_Oh no._

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj doesn’t stop kissing him.

This is Chris Kendall. His enemy of over a year. His mouth is on his. It’s a dare.

They should have pulled away by now.

It’s been too long. This is bordering on making out.

This is bordering on tongue... This isn’t bordering on tongue anymore.

Then he’s pulling Chris closer to him. More touching, closer and closer. More of anything Chris has got to give him.

Pj suddenly feels like this could explain everything, and make everything a thousand times more complicated.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

‘Where’s Chris?’ Tyler shouts from the next room.

Finally, Chris pulls away. Both of the gasp.

Chris finally catches up with himself. He has so many questions, and maybe a few answers.

‘What was that?’ Chris asks.

Pj looks up at Chris with wide eyes. The light flickers again. He’s more attractive than Pj has ever given him credit for.

Pj licks his lip. He’s mind is racing.

‘I-’

‘-There you are!’

Tyler runs into the kitchen, he grabs Chris’s hand.

‘I’ve been here the whole time Tyler.’ Chris answers.

Tyler smiles at him. ‘Well come on.’

Tyler drags Chris out of the kitchen.

Chris leaves the room with one last look at Pj.

Pj stays still, he catches his breath, and the light flickers out.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

‘Has anyone seen Pj?’ Sophie asks for the eighth time.

‘I saw him leave, like, an hour ago.’ Troye shouts back.

Sophie and Louis frown at each other.

Chris’s heart stops.

‘He was supposed to come back with us.’ Sophie tells Louis.

Louis shrugs. ‘We’ll check on him tomorrow. For the meantime, I guess we’ll just head back to mine.’

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Eventually, everyone leaves Chris’s home. He stopped enjoying himself after Pj.

What was that?

The kiss lingers in Chris's memory. It's odd, he's not worked it out yet.

He hates Pj. Pj is annoying, smarmy, over-achieving, intelligent, funny, creative, smart.

Beautiful.

Ugh.

Chris pushes the thoughts away. The sick feeling resides in him, he can't be fucked to get out of bed for something.

He feels an itch. He glances over at his notebook, and grabs it.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chris hates his words.

He has no doubt in his mind that he'll rip that poem up when he sees it next.

He starts to write another.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj lays in his bed, draped in darkness.

Chris Kendall has been his enemy for a year, ever since he barged his way onto the bus. They quickly realized that neither of them were people for physical fights, so it become a barrage of intellectual or not so intellectual insults.

He kissed him.

He enjoyed it.

Even more than just enjoyment, it felt like it meant something.

Chris has never exactly been shy about bringing up sexual insults, but it was just that, insults. Right?

Pj’s mind takes him in circles. Questions. Answers.

Pj can’t exactly come to a conclusion.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chris: Hey Soph, I saw that Pj left early last night, and I just wanted to know if he’s okay? Sorry if I’m bothering you x (10:02)**

**Sophie: You’re not bothering me ya silly thing. I haven’t heard from him. I’ll check on him for you xxxx (12:29)**

**Chris: Thank you xxxx (12:31)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sophie frowns, that’s an awfully quick response for a ‘I’m a little concerned text’. Also, why is Chris concerned? Are they finally warming up to each other?

‘What was that about?’ Louis asks.

She looks over at him. He was sleeping when Sophie thought to check her phone.

‘Just a text. How hungover are you on a scale of one to ten?’ She asks.

Louis blinks at her.

‘6?’

Sophie grins at him. ‘Great, I don’t have to be nice to you then.’

Louis laughs. ‘I let you sleep in my bedroom.’

Sophie climbs back over to the bed, and gets under the covers.

‘Like that’s the first time that’s happened.’

‘I’m pretty sure my parents think we sin in here.’ Louis says.

Sophie snorts. ‘Don’t they know I have standards?’

Louis chuckles, burying his face in his pillow.

‘What did I do to you?’

She rolls her eyes, leans over, and flicks his forehead.

‘Nothing at all.’

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj wakes up to the feeling of deep rested imminent doom. He's feeling it in the back of his head, though that could be some of the drinking.

'Peeeeeeeeeej...'

His sister shouts through the door. Pj rolls his eyes, stuffing his face into the pillow and groaning.

'Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeej...'

Pj rolls his eyes again.

'What?' He shouts back.

His sister barges into his room.

'Peej-'

'-I didn't say you could come in.'

His sister stops and frowns at him. Her frown grows into a grin.

'Are you hungover?'

Pj raises an eyebrow at her. 'No.'

'Aw. My baby brother.'

'I'm a grown up kinda.'

'Shut up. Did you do anything stupid?' She prods.

Pj has a minor heart attack as he remembers Chris Kendall's lips on his.

Pj blinks slowly.

'No...'

His sister grins. 'You paused.'

Pj puts his head back on his pillow. 'No I didn't.'

'You did something stupid.' She sings.

'Stoooop...'

She completely forgets her original intention for entering the room, and skips out.

Pj loses the will to live for a few moments. He checks his phone.

**Soph: So like, why did you skip out on us yesterday? (12:35)**

Pj's eyes fly wide.

Fuck. Does he tell Sophie? Does he? She normally helps Pj with his shit, but the teasing would be so immense. So. Immense.

Pj decides to deal with this later.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Peej? You dead? (14:08)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Pj Liguori I know you saw that message. Don’t make me call your mum. (14:34)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Pj I’m actually concerned. Talk to me? (16:47)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Louis’s mum invited me for dinner. Half of me thinks it’s cute and the other thinks that she thinks we’re fucking. What do I do? (17:59)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Dinner was very nice we had nutroast. Are you gunna talk to me or nah? Will I see you at college tomorrow? (18:44)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Stop moping and talk to me. I’ll listen. (20:17)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Peej. I’m pregnant. It’s either Jamie’s or Louis’s. (21:30)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Wow, you didn’t even respond to that? I’m not impregnated for the record. (21:41)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Soph: Okay, I give up. You’re probably fine. I’ll see you tomorrow xx (22:28)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj receives Sophie’s final message and sighs. His arms are covered in paint.

He started on his project for what he finds beautiful. He couldn’t find beauty before yesterday.

He’s painted an elaborate blue night sky, with colored dots for stars. There’s a moon in the center, which silhouettes on a person. It’s only when Pj sees the skeleton of the person that he even realizes who he knows that is tall, gangly, with short rounded hair.

Pj can’t help but feel like his subconscious isn’t helping the situation.

Especially when he doesn’t know what the situation is.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The house wasn't too messy, Chris didn't have too much of a problem cleaning it up. He avoided the kitchen.

Why does it feel so much worse than it is? He's kissed people at parties before. This feels like a fuck, but it wasn't that.

He keeps on reviewing it in his head. A simple dragging kiss, from a simple long-term enemy, which has turned his simple world upside down.

He doesn't fucking get it. What the fuck is up with him?

He guesses time will tell.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj can't sleep for the worry in his mind. It's one in the morning. He knows what he has to do.

He reaches for his phone, opens up her contact, and prays that she's still awake.

His phone rings.

It rings.

Rings.

Pj grins when she picks up.

'What?' She demands in a harsh whisper.

'I did something stupid.' Pj confesses. 'And you're going to find it hysterical.'

'Is this why you've been ignoring me all day?' Sophie demands.

Pj can't help but shrug. 'I needed to figure out what to do.'

'Did you figure out what to do?'

'No, I'm even more lost because this was so unexpected but I'm like super sure at least a part of it was seriously my fault.'

Sophie pauses. Pj hears her take a deep breath.

'Pj Liguori, you're scaring me. What did you do?'

Pj feels it all race through his mind. Sophie's order to stay, gentle bickering, lighter bickering, teases, then lips, and then he was gone.

'I made out with Chris.' Pj blurts.

Sophie falls into silence. Slowly, Pj hears her start laughing.

'No fucking way-'

'-We were in the kitchen. And Chris and I were sort of doing that arguing thing like usual, and then he said that it's a tradition to do dares, the next dare we heard was a kissing one and it just kind of happened.'

Sophie's silent. Pj can almost imagine her facial expression, eyes wide.

'Did you like it?'

Pj contemplates it. Chris wasn't a bad kisser, if he takes away the being Chris thing. The conversation they had wasn't even that unpleasant.

'If you take away the Chris factor of it, then yeah.'

Sophie snorts. 'You want to take the Chris factor away from Chris?'

'Not like that...' Pj argues.

'It sounds exactly like that. Why did you call me Peej?' Sophie demands. He can hear her irritation.

Pj's mouth flounders. 'I don't know. I can't sleep.'

'Because you kissed Chris?'

'I think so.'

Pj hears Sophie sigh.

'I am not the best at shit like this, and I hate that everyone comes to me with this shit because I can't handle all that-'

'-Soph I'm sorry-'

'-Do not interrupt me, hear me?'

Sophie's fury silences Pj.

'Yes.'

'I am not good at this, so I'll be honest with you. You need to sort this out for yourself. Are you able to just brush it off? I don't know, do you? Do you just need to talk to him? Is it just a crush or something stronger? Was it just a spur of the moment?'

There's a few seconds pause.

'I don't know Sophie.'

Sophie hums. 'Then you come to college tomorrow, you figure it out, and you never ignore me for another day just because you were panicking. To sum, you're making your problems bigger than they need to be, you just need to harden up and talk, and I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight?'

Pj nods. He soaks in her statements.

'Goodnight.'

She hangs up.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chris's alarm makes his heart beat hard. His parents aren't back for another two days, they had to go to a wedding, Chris wasn't invited. He's not too fussed.

He wishes, however, that he had someone else in the house right now. They'd really settle his nerves.

This probably isn't as big of a deal as it feels, sometimes things seem larger than they are, but that's just the way we lie to ourselves. Chris needs to face this head on, tackle it.

He forces his chest up, and his head high. Deep breaths. With as solid of a walk as he can manage, he heads into college.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'So Liguori was at the party I see.' Tyler states. He's in full costume. Chris looks up at him, judging his implications. For a split second, he thinks he knows.

Chris forces a smile. 'I wasn't going to turn him away.'

Tyler grins. 'Some of the stuff I've heard you say about him, I'm surprised you didn't.'

Chris snorts. 'I'm civil.'

'Besides, if you'd turned him away, I could have admired his butt as he walked.' Tyler comments.

Chris's heart stops, he raises an eyebrow. 'You think he's cute?'

Tyler laughs. 'Never said that, but it doesn't mean you're wrong. Also, you've not insulted him yet, what gives?'

Chris looks back at himself. He hadn't felt the repulsive need to insult Pj, he hasn't since Saturday.

Oh god, what's happening?

Chris frowns, he opts for quiet.

'Don't really know.' Chris answers.

Tyler shrugs. 'Well, if he turns up to one of our things again and we don't turn him away, send him my way.'

Tyler winks and walks away.

Chris is left to confront the fact that he's not okay with anything Tyler just said, not okay at all.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chris is stood in the rain. Waiting for his bus home, still waiting. He'd spent the day laughing, feeling empty. Sophie kept on shooting him looks, his paranoia is playing up. Tyler noticed something is up, maybe everyone did. Maybe everyone knows Chris isn't sure about that twat that gets on his bus anymore.

Pj Liguori has left Chris well and truly frazzled.

The rain pours, maybe Chris could have used some frazzling.

The bus still hasn't showed. It should have been here ten minutes ago.

Pj Liguori shows up on the side of the road and, for the second time in a day, Chris's heart stops.

The bus arrives.

The rain is still miserable. If it just picks Chris up, Pj won't make it on time.

Chris panics. He can put this off if he wants.

The bus reaches him, and opens the doors.

Chris hits a resolve. He talks to the bus driver.

'My friend is just along the road, can you wait a few seconds for him?'

The bus driver just gets the message, he looks through his mirrors, and sees Pj running in the downpour.

'Go sit down Son. I'll wait for your friend.'

Chris isn't sure if it was the answer he wanted. He follows his orders. Single decker, he sits near the back, maybe Pj won't spot him here.

Pj runs to the stop. He steps on, shaking the rain off him. He grins, showing his pass to the driver, thanking him.

Chris is stunned.

Pj’s hair drips with water, but it curls so nicely in the rain. He’s skin glimmers under water. Chris can see the way his body moves, the way he carries his chest, his legs. His smile lightens up the world, for a moment, it’s almost like the sun came out.

Chris’s worrying goes away.

‘Don’t thank me, thank your friend.’

Pj turns, and catches Chris’s eyes. Chris could feel like he’s being pierced, but it’s more like he’s being observed without a facade.

Pj nods at him, Chris nods back.

Chris doesn't break eye contact with Pj. Pj sits down in a row in front of him. He pulls out his headphones, but not his notebook.

Chris finally pries his eyes away, retreating to his imagination, but every time the thought of Pj enters his head, he sneaks a look.

Little does he know that Pj sneaks looks at him too.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Peej: Chris is on my bus have lots of fun at my funeral (14:58)**

**Soph: I’m using your funeral as an excuse to get drunk off my tits. (15:01)**

**Soph: Talk to him. You’re a kinda mature person; Sort your shit out x (15:02)**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj doesn't understand why Chris told the bus driver to wait. The day is miserable. He hasn't seen grey like this since they worked with black and white in photography.

He's only known grey like this since kissing Chris. People don't make out with people they hate, if they do, it leads to trouble.

He gets the sudden urge to look back at Chris again. Again. Like he's lovesick. He's not lovesick, he doesn't get lovesick, especially not with someone that's as much of a prat as Chris Kendall.

He looks at Chris regardless. He's still day dreaming. His head wants to rest on something, it's like he's struggling to keep it upright. Pj finds himself smiling whilst he turns back around.

A smile doesn't mean anything right? A kiss doesn't either right? Pj's probably just lonely, he's not heard about Chris getting with anyone recently either.

Seeing Chris makes things both less and more terrifying; it's allowed him to shrink down the idea of Chris to just a person, but that person is difficult and odd. Pj can deal with difficult and odd, that category fits pretty much all the people he loves most.

Their stop is approaching.

Pj could put off talking to Chris for another day. He could use that time wisely and figure himself out. This could be a simple blip, everything could go back to how it was.

The button is pressed for Pj's stop, Chris's stop. He gathers his belongings.

What to do? Tap Chris's shoulder? 'We need to talk about the fact that you're my best enemy and we made out'?

Walk away?

Pj stands, he's brushed past. Chris makes his way to the front of the bus, when it stops, he steps out, thanking the bus driver again. Chris ducks his head as the rain hits it.

Pj runs off the bus. It pulls away. He's left in the downpour again.

He stares at Chris's back.

Walk away.

He didn't have to tell the bus to wait.

'Chris!'

Chris shudders at the voice. He'd nearly gotten away. Why couldn't Pj just let it hang? Come on bro, don't be a dick.

Chris turns around, and walks backwards, he looks expectantly.

Pj swallows before continuing.

'What was that about? Why'd you tell him to wait?'

Chris stops walking. The rain falls onto him.

He can't find an answer.

He just doesn't want to be bad to Pj, not anymore.

He shrugs, turning back around to continue his walk.

Pj laughs at the gesture, repeated from the last time they did this.

Pj watches Chris walk away. Pj should turn around, he should go home. His sister is expecting him. He's soaked through.

Pj is running to Chris in a second of making the decision. He needs to know. He needs to talk.

'Chris! Chris wait!'

Chris doesn't wait. Pj is soon walking beside him though.

Chris rolls his eyes, his heart in his throat. He forces his regular smile.

'Come on, at least when you're nice to animals and they follow you, you can pet them.'

'I'm not an animal.' Pj responds.

'But you are following me.' Chris retorts.

They continue to walk. Pj looks at Chris. Chris tries not to look at Pj.

'Stop staring at me.' Chris instructs, feeling uncomfortable in his own skin.

'Sorry.' Pj murmurs, looking straight ahead. 'I just wanted to talk.'

Chris dreaded the words. They cause his palms to sweat.

'About Saturday?' Chris breathes.

Their steps sync up.

Pj nods. 'I just... I needed to know what you thought about it... It's been bothering me because we're not...'

'Meant to get along? We’re not meant to get along?' Chris suggests, he sneaks a look at Pj. When he looks at Pj now, it's like he's looking at someone different. Pj smiles at him, no malice.

'That. But, I don't think I...'

'What?' Chris questions.

Pj raises an eyebrow at him.

'I know you're a prick. I know you are. I know you can be selfish, self-absorbed, childish-'

'-You didn't have to follow me ya know-'

'-I didn't know that I could have a proper conversation with you. I didn't know you could be Sophie's friend, and then probably mine. But I can't have you be my friend, because I dug my grave with words that I'm starting to regret. Because you kissed me, when I was super tipsy, and I really didn't hate it.'

Chris's eyes widen. They turn the corner onto Chris's road. Pj recognizes the houses. Chris's is only a few along. Their steps are synchronized still.

Chris stares at Pj, who just exposed himself metaphorically. And Chris gets the urge to write another poem.

People don't make Chris want to write very often.

'You didn't hate it?' Chris whispers.

'No. That actually kinda scares me, because I talked so much shit about hating the very sight of you and yet, I kissed you and liked it.'

Chris frowns, laughing slightly. 'Why does that scare you?'

Chris's house arrives. The rainfall starts to ebb down. Chris turns to face him.

Pj bites his lip. His lips start to ache from the thought of a repeat of Saturday. Pj feels his chest start to soar and he can't believe he's feeling this, and he can't believe he's here.

Chris finds himself hoping for an answer. He thinks he doesn't want what Chris and Pj used to be, he wants something more than that.

'Because, if I got that much wrong, what else did I get wrong? Who are you?' Pj asks.

Chris smiles at him, his heart lifts when Pj smiles back. He smiles back.

The words hang in his throat for a little second before escaping.

'Would you like to find out?'

Pj's eyes widen. Chris is in front of him, and whilst he's not the model he pretends to be, he's not bad looking.

Pj thinks that maybe this isn't about looks, maybe this is about giving someone a chance.

'I think, for now, I would. Sign me up.' Pj tells him.

Chris grins. The rain stops. Pj's hair is already curly. Chris looks at his home, currently empty.

'Would you like a hot drink Peej? Nobody is home but me, and to be frank, I could use some company.'

Pj nods. 'Please.'

They head towards the house.

'You going to try and kiss me again?' Chris jokes.

'Shut up.'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sometimes, Pj wishes he wasn't in his own mind. He looks at Louis mid-daydream, Jamie halfway through a sentence, or Sophie whilst she paints, and he wishes he could jump into their heads.

He's never wanted to glimpse inside someone's head more than this very second.

Chris is sat opposite from Pj. He'd made them both hot chocolate. Chris is chatting away about his show this time next week. Pj watches in complete amazement at how natural he's being, how often Pj is laughing, how pleasant this is if he lets go of preconceptions. He guesses that there's a certain liberation in giving second chances.

Chris's hair is starting to dry. Chris's smile is freer than he's ever seen it before.

A small pause in conversation.

'How do you feel right now?' Pj asks.

Chris's eyes widen. 'Pretty swish. Why?'

'I don't get you. I suppose if there's one thing I'd like to come out of this peace offering, it's some understanding of what makes you tick.'

Chris grins. 'I'm a pretty simple guy really. You just pushed a few of my buttons.'

'Tell me about them.'

Chris raises an eyebrow. 'My buttons?'

Pj brushes him off. 'If I understand you, then I don't have to hate you.'

Chris stares at him, he swallows.

'I don't like being shouted out. I don't like being told I'm... wrong.'

Pj snorts. 'You are wrong sometimes-'

'-I don't mean wrong like a opinion, I mean wrong as in personality.' Chris argues.

Pj's eyes widen. He hadn't expected that. 'Oh...'

Chris grimaces. 'Sometimes when we'd argue, you'd tell me that I sucked. It... I got bullied a bit growing up and it reminds me of that. Rubs me the wrong way.'

Pj nods. 'Why did you get bullied?' Pj asks.

Chris glares back at him. His whole demeanor has changed in seconds. He's more attentive, his smile has gone.

'Can we talk about something else?' Chris cuts.

Pj leans back, making himself smaller. He raises his hands in surrender.

'Okay. Sorry. I didn't mean to pry.'

Chris takes a sip of his drink before smiling. 'It's alright.'

Pj tests his ground and smiles back. Is he safe-ish again?

He guesses at points, he has been cruel to Chris. He didn't have to go as far as he did over Chris jumping a queue once.

'You don't suck, not anywhere as much as I thought you did.' Pj admits.

Chris raises that eyebrow again. 'I do suck, but only if you're nice to me.'

It takes Pj a second to get it, then he splutters. The laugh jumps into hi and floats to his service.

Chris likes the look of a laugh on him.

What's happening here?

'I guess I have to start being nice to you.' Pj chuckles.

Chris frowns, smiling in disbelief. 'Did you just say you want me to suck your dick Liguori?'

'No!' Pj laughs again, he puts his head in his hands. 'I'm just awkward.' He pulls his head back up to look at Chris. 'It's Peej, by the way.'

Chris grins. 'Okay Peej. Also, we kissed once, a blowjob isn't out of the question.'

Pj rolls his eyes. 'You're not giving me a blowjob today.'

Chris groans. 'Aw Peej, you're messing with my dreams.'

Pj snorts. 'Get higher aspirations.'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chris's hand in cupping his jaw. They're kissing again.

He guesses that this is what happens when Pj confronts his issues. He makes out with his issues.

He hears the last few things they said.

'So that kiss...' Chris started.

'I really didn't hate it.'

'Me neither.'

'Why?' Pj had asked.

Chris had found the answer to be.

'Because I don't think I hate you, not really.'

Pj had found the answer to be the same. He doesn't think he hates the real Chris, just the persona he plays up for laughs.

Pj had looked at Chris's face again, he's found himself doing that the whole time. This time, Pj had felt something he could liken to fire if he had a sketch book with him. Pj knows that fire, he hasn't felt it in months.

'Can I kiss you again?' Pj asked. 'I think...I think I want to do that again.'

Chris's eyes widened. He'd nodded.

The next thing Pj knew. He was being pushed onto the table, having stood up to meet Chris. His mouth was practically burning.

His mouth still is burning, but now he feels it everywhere. Hate burns similarly to this, but Pj thought he could tell them apart. There's different kinds of hate, repulsion is another thing completely.

This hatred always burnt like passion, so Pj can see how it transferred.

He's grabbing at Chris. More fire.

Chris is grabbing back. Pj feels his shirt get unbuttoned, and then he's lifting Chris's.

Oh no.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj should have been home over an hour ago.

His sister understands being young, maybe he just stayed behind at school to study. But normally, Pj texts if he's going to be late. He knows it's just him and her on Monday nights, and she worries easily.

Pj's sister knows that she worries easily. It's why Sophie gave her her phone number, just in case Pj forgot to call.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sophie gets a phone call half-way through her homework. She expects it to be Louis, but is surprised when it's Pj's older sister. Frowning, she answers.

She quickly gets the message. His sister apologizes for calling, but she just wants to know if Sophie knows anything.

But Sophie doesn't know where Pj is.

Even if she might suspect it.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj knows exactly how he got here, he knows exactly how sober he is, he knows exactly his motivation for this. He knows that he wanted Chris in that moment, and he has no excuse for that.

Chris's body is quite enjoyable really, once Pj pushes past the whole Chris aspect of it. Chris knows what he's doing, at least Pj is in good hands.

Do all peace treaties wind up like this?

Pj's not exhausted, but satisfied. Chris is laying next to him, on his side, his back to Pj. They ended up in Chris's bedroom. Chris is catching his breath next to Pj.

'Kiss me again?' Pj asks.

Pj laughs when Chris sighs.

'Is there no pleasing you?' Chris questions.

Pj is staring up at the ceiling, he smiles.

'I don't want to overthink what just happened, so could you kiss me again?'

Chris turns so he's on his front. He looks over at Pj. Pj's hair has curled further. It started raining again, and Chris can almost smell it.

'Why would you overthink it?' Chris counters.

Pj reaches out, and runs his fingers through Chris's hair.

Pj whispers. 'Because I am superly and utterly and completely stupid.'

A trapped laugh escapes from Chris's chest.

'I like idiots.'

Pj blinks, grinning with it. He furrows his eyebrows.

'Do you like me?'

If you'd asked Chris this question two weeks earlier, his answer would have been completely different.

'You're alright.'

Pj's eyes widen, he'd expected more of a joke. He still smiles.

'You're alright too.'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'What the fuck are we doing?' Pj murmurs again.

It's funny. He's said that a few times, and he's done nothing about it.

Chris carries on kissing his neck.

Why is he kissing his neck?

He guesses things progressed. They were enemies, they were talking, they were kissing. Peace. They were talking, they were kissing, they were naked, they still are naked, they were kissing again.

Chris doesn't have an answer for Pj, he doesn't know what they're doing.

Chris does have a joke for Pj though. He pulls away from his neck.

'Getting off?'

Pj laughs, Chris smiles.

'We did that already.'

Chris presses his lips to Pj's skin for a small second.

'And it was pretty neat, and pretty unexpected.'

Pj snorts. 'Tell me about it Buster.'

Chris smiles. He tries to ignore that Pj is Pj.

'Do you reckon we just have a lot of unresolved tension?' Chris asks. 'Do you think that's what this is?'

Pj raises an eyebrow. 'You think we're finding a new approach to resolving our tension?'

Chris shrugs. 'We're both confused, at least I'm trying to find an answer.'

Pj rolls his eyes. 'It could be the answer I guess.' Pj yawns, he looks out Chris's bedroom window, and sees darkness. 'What time is it?'

Chris leans up, Pj gets a nice view of his entire torso. Pj is familiar with said torso now.

'It's just after six.'

Pj's eyes widen, that time had flown.

Shit.

'My sister... Fuck...'

Pj's panic begins to fly through him.

Chris raises an eyebrow at him. 'Just say you were with Sophie or something.'

Pj relaxes, he smiles again.

'I can do that.'

Chris looks over at Pj. He remembers what Pj tastes like, sounds like. He looks at the curl of his hair and the smoothness of his skin. His words haven't dragged him down today, but refreshed him.

'C-Could you tell her that you stayed at Sophie's?' Chris asks, he bites his lip. 'Could you stay with me tonight?'

Pj frowns back at him. For the first time, Chris is showing him weakness.

Chris's new found humanity intrigues him. He finds his answer.

'Sure.'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj’s sister hears her phone vibrate from the kitchen. She runs to read her message.

**Peej: I’m staying at Sophie’s tonight. Sorry xx(18:56)**

Her mouth falls open. That’s a lie, Sophie would have said something if he was with her.

She quickly texts Sophie, explaining the situation.

After a few moments, she gets a response. Pj’s not with Sophie, and she’s more inclined to trust Sophie.

Where’s Pj?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hours pass timelessly. Clothes get put back on, they eat, they talk. It's almost like they're normal. It's almost like they've been doing this for years.

Pj's not felt this good in months. All his problems could melt.

When Chris yawns, Pj looks to him.

'Do you want to go to bed?' Pj asks.

Chris shrugs, he scratches the back of his neck.

'Will you be coming with me?'

Pj smiles. 'I agreed to stay the night, unless you want me to sleep on the sofa after already having had sex with me.'

Chris scoffs. 'I'm not that much of a dick.'

'I know.'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chris could have never foresaw this. Pj's just a little bit too hot, but Chris doesn't mind laying next to the heat.

He couldn't have seen any of this coming.

Pj's head is resting next to his. This bed is too small for the both of them. There's no light. The rain has dulled down and become distant. All Chris can hear is his heart beat and Pj's breathing. Chris's arm started aching a few minutes ago, but he doesn't want to move in case he taints this.

He's got Pj in his arms, and it's the closest he's gotten to calm in years.

Silence.

Chris closes his eyes. He smiles.

Finally, a whisper.

'Are we friends Chris?'

Pj's voice falls back into darkness. The moment feels like it could be candle lit. Chris is hyper-aware and tired. He's happy and confused. He's a breathing oxymoron.

Chris supposes that after the days events, there's only one true answer.

'Yeah. I think we are.'

Pj smiles. He feels weightless. He doesn't have to be up early tomorrow.

'I'll take that.' Pj murmurs, he turns his head at the last second, his last word is pressed into Chris's skin.

Chris closes his eyes. 'I'm not planning on us sleeping together once and then going back to being... whatever we were. Lets change us before it's too late.'

'But what if it is too late?' Pj questions.

Chris squeezes him. 'It's never too late, but that doesn't mean put off change, that means work as hard as you can.'

Pj keeps his eyes wide open. The dark shadows are becoming clearer.

'I'll work hard, for you. I think... I think now's the time I say sorry, for everything.'

Chris's breath shudders out in a laugh.

'You're not sorry. Everything you did lead you here, to this moment. I'm glad. It’s swish that life works like that. Even if shit goes to shit tomorrow and we hate each other again, I'm glad.' Chris smiles. 'But for now, I'm telling you this, you're going to fall asleep, and I'm going to hold you really close because I do that. We're going to wake up in the morning, a bit awkwardly. We'll get over it, just nerves. Then we'll laugh it through, and we'll decide what this was. We'll decide. Then when we've made out plan, together, we'll enact it. Don't overthink this. Don't make this bigger than this needs to be.' Chris shrugs, lowering his lips to the top of Pj's head. 'Sleep.'

Pj bites his lip, puts his arm around Chris, and follows orders.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pj can't sleep. Chris is fast asleep in Pj's arms. 

Pj keeps finding himself watching him, like some kind of creep, but he's fascinating. There's all those layers of Chris removed. He's just seeing Chris do the most simple thing a person can do, sleep in peace. 

That itch starts in his finger tips, the curve of Chris's jaw, his collar bone, it's making him want to draw, create, he's not felt the need to capture something this desperately in months. 

Pj thinks that he might have just found what he thinks it's beautiful. 

He found beauty in his enemy, his now lover, his Chris. Despite the ambiguity in Pj's mind, he knows he's going to have to keep that close. 

They'll figure it out in the morning. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. It was nice to write something a little less heavy then what I've uploaded recently. Please leave a comment/kudos if you liked it xx


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